Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an internationally standardised methodology. (ISO 14040:2006) LCA helps to quantify the environmental pressures related to goods and services (products), the environmental benefits, the trade-offs and areas for achieving improvements taking into account the full life cycle of the product. Life-Cycle Inventory (LCI) and Life-Cycle Impact assessment (LCIA) are consecutive parts of a Life-Cycle Assessment, where: 

- Life-Cycle Inventory is the collection and analysis of environmental interventions data (e.g. emissions to e.g. air and water, waste generation and resource consumption) which are associated with a product from the extraction of raw materials through production and use to final disposal, including recycling, reuse, and energy recovery. 

- Life-Cycle Impact Assessment is the estimation of indicators of the environmental pressures in terms of e.g. climate change, summer smog, resource depletion, acidification, human health effects, etc. associated with the environmental interventions attributable to the life-cycle of a product. 

The data used in LCA should be consistent and quality assured and reflects actual industrial process chains. Methodologies should reflect a best consensus based on current practice.

EC, European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment, accessed 08 January 2024

Source category: EC Policy Documents

The compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle.

ISO, 2006a. EN ISO 14040:2006: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and frameworks. July 2006. ISO, 2006b. EN ISO 14044:2006: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines. July 2006.

Source category: Standards